The invention relates generally to convertible furniture frames, and more specifically, to convertible furniture frames suitable for use in supporting futons in different body-supporting orientations.
Furniture frames for supporting futons in multiple positions are well known in the art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,664,286, issued to Stoler on Sept. 9, 1997, teaches such a furniture frame. The frame taught by Stoler is adapted to act both as a couch and a bed. It includes two pivotally attached pad support members wherein the support members have limited lateral motion along the pivot point to allow for temporary locking and unlocking of the two pad support members. This pivotal attachment enables the pad support members to be rotatably moved between the sitting and reclining positions.
The frame taught by Stoler also has arms with two slots for engaging slot followers that extend from one of the support members. As the frame is converted between the couch and bed positions, the slot followers move through the slots. It is known in the prior art of convertible furniture frames for the slot followers to be devices such as rollers. One of the two slots on each of the arms taught by Stoler is a substantially linear horizontal slot having a slot angle at one end and a small vertical component in its slope. The other slot is a substantially linear vertical slot having another slot angle at one end and a small horizontal component to its slope. When the support members are in the bed position, the slot followers dwell in the vicinity of the end of the slot having the slot angle. As the support members are moved to the upright position, the slot followers travel to the opposite ends of the slots. The pivot joining the support members is a hinge pin dwelling in a substantially linear elongate slot.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,815,858, issued to Dodge on Oct. 6, 1998, also teaches slots for guiding slot followers. The slots taught by Dodge are also formed in the arms of the furniture frame. They are sloped and substantially linear with an angle at one end of each slot. Additionally, Dodge teaches a pivot between the support members including an elongate slot for the hinge pin. One end of the elongate slot is arcuate for assisting in maintaining the support members in a locked relationship when the furniture frame is in a sitting position.
Other prior art references include U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,829,611, 4,996,730, 5,327,491, 5,509,151 and 5,956,785 issued to Robert Fireman. The Fireman references also teach convertible furniture frames, including furniture frames having arms with slots to receive and retain slot followers extending from a support member. They also teach pivots having elongate slots. Other prior art includes U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,170,519, 5,429,415 and 5,519,902 all issued to Meade. These patents generally illustrate the art of futons and convertible furniture frames for supporting futons.
A furniture frame convertible from a seat to a bed is disclosed. The furniture frame includes side frame members spaced-apart by a supporting rail and a body-supporting member including two sections pivotally connected together and connected to the side frame members substantially toward the rear of the furniture frame. In the disclosed furniture frame the two sections are movable relative to each other between at least a first and second sitting orientations and a bed orientation wherein the second sitting orientation is less upright than the second sitting orientation. The two sections provide a seat section and a back section having transversely spaced apart side section members and upper surfaces inclined relative to each other when the two sections are in one of the first and second sitting orientations. The upper surfaces of the two sections are aligned in substantially the same horizontal plane when the two sections are in the bed. A pivot connection between the two sections permits relative rotational motion of the two sections between the at least first and second sitting orientations and the bed orientation. The section members of the back section include transversely extending followers and each of the side frame members includes a pair of elongate position-locating and retaining slots, one of the followers on the side section members of the back section being disposed within one slot of the pair of retaining slots, and the other of the followers on the side section members of the back section being disposed within the other slot of the pair of retaining slots. The followers are movable within the retaining slots as the seat and back sections move from the at least first and second sitting orientations and the bed orientation. The retaining slots have a first locking location for disposing the two sections in the first sitting orientation and locking the two sections in the first sitting orientation. The retaining slots also have a second locking location for disposing the two sections in the bed orientation and locking the two sections in the bed orientation. The first locking location has a first bump therein for retaining one of the followers within the first locking location. A third sitting orientation for disposing the two sections in the third sitting location can be provided wherein the third sitting orientation is less upright than the first sitting orientation. The retaining slots can have a third locking location for disposing the two sections in the third sitting orientation and locking the two sections in the third sitting orientation. The retaining slots include horizontal retaining slots and vertical retaining slots on each of the side frame members, the horizontal retaining slots including the first and second locking locations and the vertical retaining slots having a support stop therein for supporting one of the slot followers when the two sections are disposed in the third sitting orientation. The support stop is disposed in a region of the vertical retaining slot having an angle greater than zero with respect to the vertical. A section stop can prevent relative motion between the supporting rail and the seat section wherein the section stop can be a notch formed in the seat section for mating with the supporting rail to prevent the relative motion between the supporting rail and the seat section or an abutment extending downwardly from the seat section.